Gremlins 3 has officially been green-lit, with much of the original team returning, and an official release date announced. But fans aren’t happy about one name that’s missing from the roster.
Gremlins was a smash hit during the Christmas of 1984, with the twisted tale of those titular monsters terrorising a small town grossing more than $200 million worldwide.
A sequel followed – titled Gremlins 2: The New Batch – that pulled back on the horror in favor of zany humor, but that one didn’t connect, and was considered a failure at the time, killing the franchise dead.
But New Batch is now beloved by fans, while the franchise has recently been revived through a well-received animated series, and now we’ve got the announcement longtime fans have been craving: Gremlins 3 is coming!
Gremlins fans are all asking “where’s Joe Dante?”
Warner Bros. is reviving the franchise, with Steven Spielberg returning as executive producer through Amblin Entertainment.
Chris Columbus – who wrote the original movie – will also write and direct the sequel, which is set to hit screens on November 19, 2027.
But that means there’s a major name missing from the creative team, and that’s Joe Dante, who directed both Gremlins and Gremlins 2: The New Batch. And people want to know why.
“WHERE”S JOE DANTE” bemoans one on Twitter, all in caps, while another reiterates that point by asking: “What about Joe Dante?”
The news has made one Redditor both happy and sad, writing: “Could be good. Could be great. But… what happened with Joe Dante? I’m a little bummed.”
Though another then chimes in with a potential answer to that question, stating: “He never even wanted to make Gremlins 2, much less after several more decades without having made any new movies and especially not the studio kind. Hopefully he’ll be involved as a producer or creative consultant like the TV series but it might be for the best.”
Elsewhere a Dante supporter writes: “Sorry if this offends anyone, but if you are chomping at the bit to watch a Gremlins 3 without Joe Dante at the helm, then you are the reason why studios keep throwing out nostalgia-bait, rose-coloured Eighties reboots. Stop it.”
As for what Dante has previously said about a potential Gremlins 3, in October of 2025, he told The Hollywood Reporter: “That’s up to the audience. The fact is that it’s too big a property for somebody not to make something.”
Fans really don’t want CGI Gremlins
Another issue is how the Gremlins will be brought to live in the movie, with many hoping that the filmmakers will forgo modern-day computer-generated imagery in favor of the practical puppet that were used first and second time around.
“Love it,” writes one, “But if they use CGI Gremlins, I’m out.” Another chimes in with “Please… puppets.. No CGI” While a third asks: “Why do I feel like they’re going to ruin this movie with CGI?”
Over on Reddit, the sentiment is the same, with one person writing: “I just don’t want this to be CG heavy. Gremlins was never reliant on CG but more practical effects.” While another adds what everyone seems to be thinking: “Minimal CGI please. Practical effects and puppets are essential.”
Sì: avere un fidanzato è imbarazzante. Per questo averne uno deve diventare un atto politico